Television's History Channel Is History

By DAVID BAUDER, AP
Posted: 2008-03-20 16:30:25
Filed Under: TV News
NEW YORK (March 20) - The History Channel is now history.

Make that History. The cable network quietly dropped "the" and "channel" from its name recently, claiming History for itself.

"Our brand is, in the media landscape, synonymous with the genre of history so I don't think it's presumptuous of us to call ourselves History," said Nancy Dubuc, the network's executive vice president.

That's how many viewers already refer to it, she said. "Channel" is a drag on efforts to establish the brand in other media, like on the Internet. There were no licensing issues involved in the switch, she said.

The network has even changed its "H" logo to make it look bolder, less ancient.

Once dubbed "The Hitler Channel" for all of its World War II documentaries, History has switched to a more "immersive" style that tries to show rather than tell, she said. Adventure-seeking is in. Sitting in an armchair telling war stories is out.

History is following the model of Discovery, whose popular "Deadliest Catch" series about Alaskan crab fishermen is one of the most influential shows on cable. History has its own "Ice Road Truckers" about drivers on frozen lakes in Canada and just started "Ax Men" about loggers.

The series "MonsterQuest" may sound like a video game; it's about searches for mythic creatures.

"It's not exactly history, is it?" said Sean Wilentz, award-winning history professor at Princeton University.

"Anybody who thinks that there's only one place to go for history is badly mistaken," Wilentz said. "Why are they doing that? I don't know. Especially at a time they are moving away from history? I don't get it."

Although the attention-getting "Life After People" special dramatized a world after the human race had been wiped out - prehistory, in other words - Dubuc said she's concentrating on building signature series that people will return to each week.

Despite his bewilderment at the change, Wilentz and another prominent historian said they appreciated any efforts to get more people interested in the topic.

"Truth is that I love history so much and if the changed name brings more people to watch more history it's all to the good," said Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Gordon Wood, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian at Brown University, doesn't watch the network much.

"I must confess, I'm still back in the reading-of-books stage," he said.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-03-20 16:29:07
Bookmark

Recent Comments

1 - 15 of 174
174 comments

bajafish 08:28:04 PM Mar 22 2008

PLEASE TELL THIS "NEW" GENERATION TO F*** OFF". I HAVE HAD IT WITH THIS "NEW GENERATION" OF TOUCHIE FEELEY"...."OOOO WE MIGHT OFFEND SOMEONE" CRAP!!!!!!!!!. WHY DO US OLDER PEOPLE, WHO HAVE "LIVED" HISTORY, HAVE CHANGE TO THERE WAYS????? THIS "IS" HISTORY. IT SHOULD BE TOLD ON "THE HISTORY CHANNEL".

dpirie1996 12:35:22 PM Mar 22 2008

So that's how to "MAKE HISTORY".

bucknekidx 06:30:37 AM Mar 22 2008

kachina321 04:06:32 AM Mar 22 2008

AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED MORE PEOPLE SHOULD WATCH THESE CHANNELS. THEY JUST MIGHT LEARN WHAT HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE 100's OF YEARS AGO. INSTEAD THEY WATCH AMERICAN IDOL OR SOME OTHER DUMB SHOW. THAT PUTS PEOPLE IN A HOUSE WITH OTHERS AND BED HOP.

HEY! Leave Natalie and her Ta-Ta's out of this, Bwahahahahahahaha! The
ONLY reason I know about "Big Brother" is my wife watchs it on the OTHER
TV. She's even mentioned the guy with the weird, red hair (James?) that's
hung like an elephant, LOL! I'm not "jealous", she said, "AIN'T NO WAY IN HELL!"
She hasn't complained in 38 years. ;-)

lynn1536 06:25:27 AM Mar 22 2008

All you clowns need to watch the WESTERN'S Channel and you just might learn to be a little humane, and some common decency!!!

bucknekidx 06:24:37 AM Mar 22 2008

Many years ago, before they were "forced" to carry the local PBS channel, our
local cable company had the PBS Station, KERA, out of Dallas, TX. They too had historical documentaries on the Revolutionary, War of 1812, War of Northern Agression (Civil War to you Yankees), Spanish-American, WWI, WWII, Korean and
Viet Nam wars, This was before the Gulf 1 war, It was not only informative in it
showing and letters to home injections, but good reporting and fasinating to watch.

Now, LPB, shows very little of this and has the most Über-Leftist 'poli-tics' (many blood suckers) it can show. I don't support them financially. I LOVE the History Channel, the Science Channel, DIscovery Health and Tru-TV for all kinds of informative and good programming. Oh, yes, I also watch "Speed" and "FOX" when there is any NASCAR series race, he he he.

I NEVER watch THE WEATHER CHANNEL, as their local radar during a tornado
warning is always 10 minutes apart. and put my family in danger.

No, I don

silentlullaby767 05:49:25 AM Mar 22 2008

The History Channel has always been my favorite channel, up until recently when I noticed there really wasn't much about History at all. I guess Wood and I are both gonna have to stick with the books.

baddadbarry41 05:43:52 AM Mar 22 2008

Congratulations! Now if those channels that put their logo's on screen 24/7 could be made to stop. Nothing is ss distracting as to see a stupid logo while trying to follow the action. But have no fear their is always another channel!

no1ambroz 05:28:12 AM Mar 22 2008

? Why is this feature news?

tthanscadence 05:14:20 AM Mar 22 2008

The History Channel is trying to court the MTV crowd, while alienating the people who THC was made for. Aren't there enough other channels showing reality TV?

So many channels and nothing to watch...

hrshop94 05:12:24 AM Mar 22 2008

The documentaries about World War II on the History Channel were the most educational aspects of any television network. The American people need to know everthing they can possibly learn about World War II. It is probably the last war that this country will ever have won. The commie-pinko politicians in this country made us tuck our tails between our legs and run in Korea and Viet Nam, and it's going to happen again in Iraq. Our present Society doesn't have the courage, nor the patriotism, to win a war against anyone. All you have to do is, look at the candidates that are running for President, to see what a wimp-ass nation we have become. Someday we will all tune in to The History Channel, and all we will see will be a picture of AMERICA, because we will soon be history. May GOD save us all...!!!

dbarnett0214 04:46:45 AM Mar 22 2008

You can change the NAME, but you cant change HISTORY.

spirtualangel602 04:43:18 AM Mar 22 2008

Next thing you know, they will dump it from our schools. I love history!!!
When I was much younger, I didnt see the point in knowing past things, but I still liked it, now I understand and love it. Will our kids have the same chance as we did????

itzelplink 04:41:48 AM Mar 22 2008

I was crap at history in high school. It just didn't hold my interest. Now, at 75 I can't get enough of it. I LOVE the History channel and watch it most of the day and into the night.

gizmopop18 04:35:57 AM Mar 22 2008

I have always had a love for history and had been an avid watcher of The History Channel since it's inception. But many of the programs that they have been showing recently have had nothing to do history or even factual subject matter. I did not care for it too much when they were overloading the channel with WW2 shows, but at least it was history. There is plenty of room on other cable channels for Sasquatch, Noatradamus and UFO shows. For several years this channel was putting out some programming that could stand up to PBS quality, but now that they have chosen to dumb down, I will no longer watch it.

kachina321 04:12:46 AM Mar 22 2008

BECKER MAYBE YOU SHOULD START TO PRODUCE NEW SHOWS. MAYBE YOU CAN DO BETTER THEN WHAT IS NOW ON. HISTORY INTERNATIOAL IS A GREAT SHOW. ALSO CITYS OF THE UNDERWORLD IS GREAT TO WATCH AND LEARN WHY THEY ARE THERE!!!!

1 - 15 of 174
174 comments

Add your own Comments

Photos: Out and About

x17online

Pre-Wedding Stroll? Pete and Ashlee push rumors of tying the knot aside during a night out in Hollywood.

Taylor Hicks calls his next job, in which he'll play a guardian angel, an Taylor Hicks calls his next job, in which he'll play a guardian angel, an "opportunity of a lifetime."
1 of 8

Photos: Pop Culture Flashback

Everett Collection (1) / Getty Images (1)

May 18, 1992: Murphy Brown gets an earful from the vice president.